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- - What is your favorite Story song? (http://www.cougarguard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18332)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski (Post 205963)

Great topic, Creekster. And I like your three choices.

Some songwriters just have a knack for storytelling. One of my personal favorites is Steve Earle. Tends to pick harsher themes, but they are excellent tunes. A few of my favorites:

Billy Austin - Song about a guy on death row. Live version is best.
(http://music.yahoo.com/Steve-Earle/B.../lyrics/557366)

Tom Ames Prayer - Story about a gunfighter/desperado looking back on his life and pondering whether there is a god.
(http://music.yahoo.com/Steve-Earle/T...lyrics/2000801)

Ben McCulloch - Story of two brothers who fought for Ben McCulloch in the Civil War. I get a kick out of this one because Ben McCulloch is a hero in Austin (and Texas in general), but Steve doesn't paint such a pretty picture.
(http://music.yahoo.com/Steve-Earle/B...lyrics/1021436)

Tecumseh Valley - Sad, yet beautiful song about a miner's daughter. This one has been covered by other artists.
(http://music.yahoo.com/Steve-Earle/T...lyrics/1021424)

Of course, when just reading the lyrics you don't get the full effect.

Good stuff. I am not that familair with Steve Earle, although i saw him n concert once and he was very good. Thanks for the links; I'll check them out.

Steely Dan - "Kid Charlemagne"

Why are all the story songs I can name from the '70s or earlier? I can't think of any recent ones that aren't rap or hip hop, not that there is anything with that, but I can't think of anything else current...

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8ballrollin (Post 205968)

"Is there gas in the car? Yes there's gas in the car" Steely Dan has many great ones. My Old School, with a great Horn bridge (love the bari part), although it's a stretch to call it a story, Reelin' in the Years.

I also forgot about Tom Waits. Has a song ever had a more poignant opening line than "Small Change got rained on with his own .38"?

Not sure why, but the 70s is full of this sort of thing. Maybe that's why i like them, coming of age in the 70s and all.

Mariners Revenge Song - Decemberists

I Hung My Head - Sting, but I like Johnny Cash's version better

Cocaine Blues - Johnny Cash

Secret Life of Morgan Davis - Ben Folds

Fred Jones pt. 2 - Ben Folds

Jeremy - Pearl Jam

Camouflage - Stan Ridgeway

My favorite story teller would be Stan Ridgway:

Camouflage

The Big Heat

Drive She Said (not the official video, but it's a great story)

I could go on and on an on about Ridway's story telling through song. Pretty much every song is a story.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski (Post 205963)

I love Steve Earle

Here are a couple of my favorite story songs:
Fairytale of New York by the Pogues

The Line by Bruce Springsteen

Veronica by the great Irish folk singer Christy Moore

Stan by Eminem is epic.

The River by Bruce Springstein.

Lots of country songs come to mind:

Garth Brooks has a ton. That Summer. Unanswered Prayers. Thunder Rolls is awesome.

I love Whiskey Lullaby by Alison Kraus and Brad Paisley.

Don't Take the Girl by Tim McGraw.

Since my questionable taste in music is already the stuff of legend, I'm not afraid to admit that my favorite story song is Same Old Lang Syne by none other than Dan Fogelberg.

My least favorite - by far - is the Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald, followed closely by Brandy, which may not actually qualify as a story song, but is so awful it deserves mention nonetheless.

I loved Coward of the County as a kid by Kenny Rogers.

The Gambler is a story song, isn't it?